In the early morning hours, I was awakened by my 52-year-old wife barely breathing. I tried multiple times to wake her up, and she did not respond. I called 911 and woke up my 20-year-old daughter, who began administering CPR. After paramedics arrived, they had to shock her heart in order to get a pulse. I thought she had died. She was transported by ambulance to St. Elizabeth Hospital. After several hours of tests, it was determined that her heart was weak and only beating around 15%, so she would be placed in ICU. For two days in ICU we had nurse Jacqueline.

Jacqueline was very friendly, calm, and caring. She asked me and my children about our family and made us feel like she cared. Every step of the way, she was very detailed in keeping us informed about what she was doing and how my wife was doing. Every time she had an IV or pill, she explained what it was and what it was for. Every time my children or I were in the room, she would ask us a question about my wife/their mother, which helped us feel comfortable and know that she was being cared for, not only medically but also compassionately.

After two days of being in a coma, she was finally brought out of it and began to respond. Jacqueline was just as excited as we were that she was responding. After my wife started to respond to commands, it was determined that she needed to be transferred to Sacramento for a cardiologist specialist. The day she was being transported, Jacqueline was in training and yet made sure to stop by and check on us to share her excitement about her progress. Before we left, Jacqueline asked if we would come back to see her when my wife was better.

After being transferred to another hospital, it was even more evident just how special of a nurse Jacqueline is. We had multiple nurses, and none came close in comparison. Our family's overall experience of my wife's unexpected condition has been horrifying, to say the least. Although there were many people involved in saving her life, Nurse Jacqueline is the only person that my family remembers and talks about from this whole experience.

I recently took my wife back to introduce her to Jacqueline and allow her to see my wife's progress. We told my wife all about Jacqueline, and she was very eager to meet her. When they met, they hugged each other while both crying. If this doesn't show Jacqueline's compassion for her patients and her job, I don't know what does. She was so excited to see my wife alive and well. I cannot express what Jacqueline meant to me and my family and the care and compassion she showed in those two days. She left a lasting impression on me and my family that we will never forget.